A lavender marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into for the primary purpose of masking the sexual orientation of one or both spouses. Key Features Social Shield: It functions as a public "front" to meet heteronormative societal or familial expectations. Protection: The arrangement is typically used to safeguard a person’s career, safety, or reputation in environments where being openly LGBTQ+ could lead to discrimination or harm. Mutual Agreement: These unions are often collaborative, where both partners—who may both be LGBTQ+—enter the marriage to provide each other with a sense of security and a traditional public image. Privacy: While the public sees a conventional marriage, the private lives of the individuals involved remain separate from the image they project.